Homeless and Fatherless

We’ve been on a journey through the different homeless experiences people have. Last month, we discussed what happens to a child when they are homeless and have family still surrounding them.

But - what happens when a child experiences homelessness because there are no safe and stable adults around?

That is where foster care comes in. My boss and I were recently trying to come up with a clear, concise definition of foster care recently. So…

“Foster care is when the state the child is in takes on the parental role of the child and entrusts a foster parent with those duties until their family can safely do so.”

There are many reasons why a child finds themselves in this position. The main reasons are known as what is called “abuse” and “neglect”.

Abuse: When someone intentionally harms a child.

Neglect: When someone unintentionally continues to not provide the right care for a child.

Many people assume children that are entering foster care do so from abuse. The reality is many times, children are neglected. Families are so important and foster care can be a vicious cycle. A child has a child - and neither of them knows how to parent. From generation to generation, children are not being taught how to be an adult because their parents weren’t taught. Those families face feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness that lead to drugs, domestic violence, and many other things.

This is what leads to a child being homeless and put in foster care. Right now, in the state of Kentucky, we have 8,844 children in care. I see this as both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because those children are found and could end up in safe homes. A curse because it’s not fair that they have had the experiences they’ve had.

When a child enters foster care, they sometimes have absolutely nothing to take with them and a foster family will collect everything needed for a child. A foster family is someone who has gone through certification through the state they are in, so they can care for a child. Before the state places a child into a foster home, they do everything they can to keep them close to their community.

The first steps of finding a place for a child in foster care is to identify if there are any blood relatives. IF there are no blood relatives, the state looks for a person who is like family (which is called fictive kin). That person will be asked if they will care for the child, so they can stay close to familiar surroundings. When these options yield no results, that is when a child goes to a foster family that has certified their home to provide a safe space for kids until their family can again. Or this could end up being a forever home for a child.

Next month, we’ll explore how you can be a help for a homeless child who has nowhere else to go. What does the process of being a foster parent look like? How can you ensure a safe space for a child who has not only lost a home - but a family and sense of belonging?